Dr. Welther has been Arlington’s home town doctor for 28 years, first as the owner of Arlington Family Practice and most recently as an employee of Battenkill Valley Health Center.

“Dr. Welther has devoted most of his career to the residents of Arlington and surrounding communities,” BVHC CEO, Grace Gilbert-Davis stated. “We will certainly miss him, but our Board of Directors, staff and I support his desire to embrace a new challenge. At the same time, we remain firmly committed to our patients and to the Community Cares Building Project in Arlington. We also look forward to welcoming a new medical doctor to the Health Center in the near future.”

BVHC is a federally qualified health center currently located at 9 Church Street in Arlington, across from Stewart’s. Alice Pezzulich FNP and Kim Tulloch ANP are welcoming new and current patients; BVHC accepts most commercial insurance plans as well as Medicare/Medicaid. Patients who are uninsured or have high deductible insurance plans are encouraged to apply for the sliding fee scale, a program available only through BVHC. For more information or to make an appointment, call (802) 375-6566 or visit https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/wp17/.

]]>https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/welther-moving-on/feed/0Dr. Michael Welther Bids Farewell to BVHChttps://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/dr-michael-welther-bids-farewell-to-bvhc/
https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/dr-michael-welther-bids-farewell-to-bvhc/#respondFri, 12 Jun 2015 18:41:04 +0000https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/wp17/?p=381After serving the greater Arlington community for 28 years, Dr. Michael Welther has decided to start a new chapter in his professional career. He will be leaving Battenkill Valley Health Center in August to join Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s newest outpatient facility in Pownal, Vt. Battenkill Valley Health Center will be welcoming a new medical...

After serving the greater Arlington community for 28 years, Dr. Michael Welther has decided to start a new chapter in his professional career. He will be leaving Battenkill Valley Health Center in August to join Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s newest outpatient facility in Pownal, Vt.

Battenkill Valley Health Center will be welcoming a new medical doctor in the near future to join existing providers Alice Pezzulich, FNP, and Kim Tulloch, ANP, both of whom are accepting new patients. Dr. Welther is no longer scheduling new patient appointments.

Battenkill Valley Health Center is the only primary care practice in Bennington County accepting new patients without a waitlist. The health center also accepts most commercial insurance as well as Medicaid and Medicare. Patients who are uninsured or who have high-deductible health insurance plans are encouraged to apply for the sliding fee scale.

MONTPELIER – Vermont’s federally qualified health centers, known for providing comprehensive primary care, mental health and dental services to residents, are about to grow in number from eight to 11, thanks to new funding.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., relayed the news Thursday from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that Vermont clinics based in Arlington, Bristol and Randolph would join the ranks of health centers that get federal grants, enhanced payments from Medicare and Medicaid and low-cost prescription drugs.

Clinics to get the new designation in Vermont include the Arlington-based Battenkill Valley Health Center, the Five-Town Health Alliance based in Bristol, Vt., and the clinics affiliated with Gifford Medical Center in Randolph.

Sanders called the centers “a model of what primary health care should be about.” Across the country, about $150 million is being made available for 236 newly designated federally qualified health centers. The Vermont clinics will share $2.4 million of that money.

Gifford is getting $812,500.

In New Hampshire, two community health centers are getting money to expand their services, including one with offices in eastern Grafton County.

Indian Stream Health Center in Colebrook, N.H., and Mid-State Health Center in Plymouth, N.H., are getting more than $1.2 million. The money is expected to help the centers open new delivery sites serving an additional 13,400 patients.

The Colebrook center serves 10 communities in northern New Hampshire, seven in Vermont and two in Maine.

Mid-State has offices in Plymouth and Bristol.

“With these new funds, health centers will provide more individuals and families across the country with access to high quality affordable health care,” said Mary Wakefield, administrator of an HHS division Health Resources and Services Administration.

The announcement comes as the rollout of the federal health overhaul continues to suffer criticism since the deeply flawed launch of insurance marketplaces Oct. 1. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told lawmakers Wednesday that some repairs have been made to the website hosting the federally run marketplaces, but that “we’re not where we need to be.”

Darcie Johnston, head of the group Vermonters for Health Care Freedom and a strong critic of the health overhaul and the way it is being implemented in the state, said the new money is designed to mask underlying problem.

“They’re just throwing more money-we just throw billions of dollars at a system that doesn’t have a plan, a goal or an outcome that is able to be measured,’ she said.

But board member Elizabeth Wennar Rosenberg of the Battenkill Valley Health Center said the announcement was “beyond good news. It’s an understatement to say it’s lifesaving for the community on so many levels.”

She called the announcement a surprise, saying the health center had been rejected in an earlier round and wasn’t expecting a chance to re-apply until next year.

The Battenkill Valley center’s medical chief, Dr. Michael Welther, voiced similar surprise and elation.
“This will help preserve primary care in our area and will help provide that access to people,” he said.

]]>https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/fed-grants-boost-health-centers-in-vt/feed/0Health Center Receives Fundinghttps://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/health-center-receives-funding/
https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/health-center-receives-funding/#respondThu, 14 May 2015 16:09:53 +0000https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/wp17/?p=361Vermont News Guide – December 25, 2013 BENNINGTON – Bennington County was the only county in Vermont that did not have federally qualified health clinic – until the Battenkill Valley Health Center applied for funds through the U.S. government, and was accepted. These funds will enable them to provide comprehensive primary and preventative care to...

BENNINGTON – Bennington County was the only county in Vermont that did not have federally qualified health clinic – until the Battenkill Valley Health Center applied for funds through the U.S. government, and was accepted. These funds will enable them to provide comprehensive primary and preventative care to people of all ages, regardless of where they come from, their ability to pay, or their health insurance status. The Arlington Family Practice building on Route 7A in Arlington Center, Vt., must be renovated for the clinic, and staff must be hired bending the federal funding.

Mary Ann Carlson, board chairman for the Battenkill Valley Health Center, approached the Arlington Community Nursing Service last May, regarding a possible donation. The 30-member board, comprised of volunteer members of the community, met the request with enthusiasm and unanimous support, resulting in a check for $50,000 to go towards the new clinic. The Health Center will be continuing fundraising efforts for costs incurred during the transition; their goal is to raise another$25,000. When it is reached, the Nursing Service will match it with another check for an additional $25,000.

For information on how to contribute, or for questions on the clinic, call Mary Ann Carlson at 802-375-8353 and leave a confidential voicemail.

The Nursing Services provides funds for many community services through memorial contributions, donations and fundraising, including home health care, individual financial assistance by request for special medical or dental needs; dental clinics at Arlington and Sunderland schools, education, screening and teeth cleanings; hearing and vision equipment for testing in the schools; scholarships for students pursuing careers in health; monetary support for various community projects.

]]>https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/health-center-receives-funding/feed/0Health Center Pursues Grants for Mergerhttps://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/health-center-pursues-grants-for-merger/
https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/health-center-pursues-grants-for-merger/#respondThu, 14 May 2015 15:58:59 +0000https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/wp17/?p=359Bennington Banner – April 6, 2013 ARLINGTON – If it once again fails to receive a grant, the Battenkill Valley Health Center will use state funds to develop a plan to become a federally qualified health center on its own. Merge and become FQHC. The center first applied to the federal Health Resources and Service...

ARLINGTON – If it once again fails to receive a grant, the Battenkill Valley Health Center will use state funds to develop a plan to become a federally qualified health center on its own.

Merge and become FQHC.

The center first applied to the federal Health Resources and Service Administration for grant money in 2011 so it could merge with Arlington Family Practice and become a federally qualified health center (FQHC). The center was formed as a non-profit with that goal.

Dr. Michael Welther, owner of Arlington Family Practice, has said once he retires the Arlington area will lack a primary care doctor. Given the difficulties independent doctors face, it’s not likely anyone would replace him.

Mary Ann Carlson, chairwoman of the health center board, said the first application was one of 800 across the nation vying for about 80 grants. This round the odds are not much better, she said, with there being about 400 applications and 40 expecting to be chosen.

Carlson said the Vermont Department of Health awarded Battenkill Valley Health Center a $75,000 grant to put together the application in the first round. It has awarded $19,000 to apply a second time, and has also awarded $100,000 to conduct a feasibility study for going ahead and becoming a FQHC “look-alike.”

Carlson said a look-alike health center offers the same benefits as a normal FQHC.

It would offer primary care, plus mental health and dental services. In addition, it would pay greater reimbursements for Medicare and Medicaid. The challenge is raising the money the look-alike would need to keep in business long enough for its application to go through. The Health Center intends to raise $1 million, which would allow it to merge with Arlington Family Practice. About $700,000 is needed for the first year, and the rest would carry it through the second.

Carlson said to become a look-alike the FQHC would need to run by itself for six months then be able to survive in the three months the application would take to be judged. Carlson said once the Health Center submits an application for look-alike approval it is highly likely it will be approved. The only hurdle is the funding.

“If you don’t have confidence people won’t have confidence in what you are doing,” she said.

Carlson said the Health Center is seeking corporate donors and individuals. Some pledges have been made, she said, as many recognize the need and benefit of a FQHC. She said 18 letters of support were received for the grant application, many from surrounding towns. She said once the FQHC is up and running one of its goals is to open a satellite in Bennington.

One thing is clear, she said, from looking at how other FQHCs in Vermont operate: Fundraising will always need to be done.

]]>https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/health-center-pursues-grants-for-merger/feed/0Bennington Doctor Shifts to FQHChttps://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/bennington-doctor-shifts-to-fqhc/
https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/bennington-doctor-shifts-to-fqhc/#respondThu, 14 May 2015 15:47:04 +0000https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/wp17/?p=355Bennington Banner – November 7, 2013 BENNINGTON – The Battenkill Valley Health Center will operate as a federally qualified health center come January – the only of its kind in Bennington County – after receiving a federal grant in the amount of $775,000, according to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). In addition to the Battenkill Valley...

BENNINGTON – The Battenkill Valley Health Center will operate as a federally qualified health center come January – the only of its kind in Bennington County – after receiving a federal grant in the amount of $775,000, according to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

In addition to the Battenkill Valley Health Center, the Five Town Health Alliance in Bristol and the Gifford Medical Center in Randolph also received federal funding, according to Sanders, increasing the number of federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in operation throughout the state from eight to 11.

Sanders said that last year, the preexisting eight FQHCs provided more than 130,000 Vermonters with primary care, dental care, and mental health counseling, and also served as outlets for low-cost prescription drugs.

Those without insurance can also receive care, according to Sanders, as payments are determined using a sliding scale system.

Sanders said that when three new FQHCs open, around 33,000 additional patients will receive care, bringing the total number of Vermonters served under FQHCs to approximately 163,000.

“This is a very significant step forward for primary health care in Vermont, but especially Bennington County,” Sanders said during a phone interview with the Banner Thursday. “As of yesterday, Bennington County was the only county in Vermont without an FQHC. Now Thousands of Vermonters will have access to health care, where they may not have been able to before.”

Mary Ann Carlson, the chairwoman of the Battenkill Valley Health Center Board said she and her fellow board members, and Dr. Michael Welther, the owner of Arlington Family Practice (the practice that will house the new FQHC) were excited to learn they’d received the federal grant.

“For a long time, we’ve been the only county without an FQHC in the state and now we have the mechanism to get our center up and running within the next few months,” Carlson said, adding that she anticipates the center being open by January 1.

“I’m thrilled that the federal government has deemed us worthy of federal government has deemed us worthy of receiving this and I’m happy for all of the people in Bennington County who will now be able to receive care.”

According to Dr. Paul Stagg, who has acted as the project coordinator for the Battenkill Valley Health Center throughout their quest to become an FQHC, the initial application for the federal grant was mailed in early 2010, but it was denied. So an additional application was mailed in April of this year.

Stagg said that according to the grant’s terms, the center has 120 days from November 1 to be “up and running.”

At the present, plans to convert Dr. Welther’s 9 Church St. practice into the Battenkill Valley Health Center, FQHC, stand constant, and include renovating existing, undeveloped office space in the same building at Dr. Welther’s practice, which will house the additional services offered within FQHCs, including dental and mental health services.

Stagg said the board hopes to expand the center’s capacity for its patients in about two years or so.

“The Affordable Care Act will drive more and more patients to health care, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s going to stress our ability to take care of everyone,” he said, adding that an additional physician will most likely be hired to work alongside Dr. Welther, as well as an additional nurse practitioner.

Stagg and Sanders both said plans are also in the works to expand FQHC care even further throughout Bennington County by way of satellite centers.

According to Stagg, a FQHC satellite center is set to open in the town of Bennington next year.

“There is definitely a need for a center in Bennington itself,” Stagg said. “If you look at the number of primary care practices in town, the number of those taking new patients are very few, but people still need medical care.”

Stagg would not comment on the center’s exact location, but said it would provide the people of Bennington with the same care offered in the Arlington center.

“Vermont is always ranked either first or second in the nation as the healthiest state,” Stagg said. “We’re going to try and make it even healthier.”

Sanders praised the Arlington “locals” on their longtime efforts to open a local FQHC.

“All of their hard work has finally come to fruition and we’re very excited,” he said. “It’s a good day for Vermont and certainly a good day for Bennington County.”

]]>https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/bennington-doctor-shifts-to-fqhc/feed/0Sanders Congratulates Battenkill Valley Health Centerhttps://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/sanders-congratulates-battenkill-valley-health-center/
https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/sanders-congratulates-battenkill-valley-health-center/#respondTue, 12 May 2015 14:04:06 +0000https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/wp17/?p=344Bennington Banner – December 4, 2013 ARLINGTON – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) congratulated members of the Battenkill Valley Health Center Board for their hard work and persistence Tuesday during a brief meeting at local plastics manufacturer Mack Molding, and encouraged the group to execute bold and innovative ideas in the future. The meeting came nearly...

ARLINGTON – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) congratulated members of the Battenkill Valley Health Center Board for their hard work and persistence Tuesday during a brief meeting at local plastics manufacturer Mack Molding, and encouraged the group to execute bold and innovative ideas in the future.

The meeting came nearly one month after it was announced that Arlington’s Battenkill Valley Health Center was chosen to receive a federal grant in the amount of $775,000 and would thus operate as a federally qualified health center come January. It will be the first of its kind in Bennington County.

In addition to the Battenkill Valley Health Center, the Five Town Health Alliance in Bristol and the Gifford Medical Center in Randolph also received federal funding, upping the current number of FQHCs in operation throughout the state from eight to 11, and bringing the total number of Vermonters served under those centers to approximately 163,000.

According to Sanders, the local FQHC, as well as the other 10 centers in Vermont are open to everyone and provide patients covered by Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance and no insurance at all with primary care, dental care, and mental health counseling, and also serve as outlets for low-cost prescription drugs.

On Tuesday, Sanders dubbed the U.S. health care system “dysfunctional.”

“It’s not only leaving 48 million Americans uninsured, but Medicaid is spending 10 times more than it should because people don’t have access to quality, community health care,” he said. “I believe that this (FQHC) model can revolutionize primary health care in America. It can save taxpayers and the health care system huge amounts of money.”

Sanders went on to say that he considers the local site’s potential to be “extraordinary.”

“My only advice is be bold,” he told the board, using the phrase, “If you’ve seen one FQHC, you’ve seen one FQHC,” as a way to explain the unique operation of each individual center. “I would encourage all of you to learn from what these other centers are doing, steal their ideas – there are really a lot of good ideas out there, so explore, experiment and learn. Some ideas will fail, others will succeed, but obviously the goal is to treat illnesses and keep people healthy.”

Mary Ann Carlson, chairwoman of the Battenkill Valley Health Center Board said in an interview with the banner in November that she anticipates the center will open by January 1.

Tuesday, Board Member Dr. Elizabeth Wennar Rosenberg said that a plan to open is in place and it is being followed.

“Above all, we’re just making sure we’ve got the doors open and services are available,” she said.

As of now, plans to convert Dr. Michael Welther’s 9 Church St. family practice into the FQHC include renovating existing, undeveloped office space in the same building as Welther’s practice, which will house the additional services offered within the FQHC model, including dental and mental health services.

According to Dr. Paul Stagg, who has acted as project coordinator for the Battenkill Valley Health Center, the board hopes to expand the center’s capacity for its patients in about two years.

Carlson noted that although the federal grant has made plans to convert Welther’s practice into an FQHC a reality, donations and support from Arlington community members, local corporations, like Mack Molding, and nearby Southwestern Vermont Medical Center have been equally as generous.

According to Carlson, SVMC has agreed to pledge an undisclosed amount of money to the center in the near future, while Mack Molding has publicly pledged $150,000 to the center.

Additional fundraising within the Arlington community has yielded another $150,000.

Stagg and Sanders both said in November that plans are also in the works to open a FQHC satellite center in Bennington next year.

This plan was reiterated by Sanders and confirmed by board members Tuesday.

Stagg would not comment on the proposed center’s location, but said it would provide the people of Bennington with the same care offered in the Arlington center.

According to Carlson, David Reynolds, a co-architect of the Affordable Care Act and a former health policy adviser to Sanders will visit Welther’s office this Saturday to discuss before and after plans for the center.

]]>https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/sanders-congratulates-battenkill-valley-health-center/feed/0Battenkill Valley Health Center Seeking New Sitehttps://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/battenkill-valley-health-center-seeking-new-site/
https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/battenkill-valley-health-center-seeking-new-site/#respondTue, 12 May 2015 13:32:43 +0000https://www.battenkillvalleyhealthcenter.org/wp17/?p=341Bennington Banner – Sept. 6, 2014 ARLINGTON – The Battenkill Valley Health Center is one step closer to obtaining a green light to open their facility on town owned property formerly occupied by a trailer park along Route 7A. On Thursday, Aug. 31, the site plan for the new health center was presented in front...

ARLINGTON – The Battenkill Valley Health Center is one step closer to obtaining a green light to open their facility on town owned property formerly occupied by a trailer park along Route 7A.

On Thursday, Aug. 31, the site plan for the new health center was presented in front of the Arlington Planning commission. While the site plan has not yet been approved, the planning commission will hold a special meeting Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 5:30 p.m. That way, they can approve the site plan before the project goes before the Zoning Board to seek a permit later that evening.

In an interview after the meeting, Dan Barber, chairman of the planning commission, said there were five or six items missing from the site plan. They were verbally presented at the meeting, but needed to be added to the plan itself. The missing information included property dimensions, setbacks and more information about screening and what trees would be removed and which would stay.

“Nothing critical was missing, there just wasn’t enough information,” he said.

David Frothingham of DeWolfe Engineering Associates in Montpelier, presented the project to the board. He said it will feature an 8,000 square foot building in the front of the property, with parking in the middle and a 5,000 square foot building in the front of the property, with parking in the middle and a 5,000 square foot building in the back. Frothingham said the building in the back of the property will not be built yet, but is a future plan they added to the site plan, for a full idea of what the property could look like.

“We’re just putting it out there…it’s part of the plan, we want to make sure it all works together,” he said. “Even if we don’t build it for five or 10 years.”

The site will feature 65 parking spaces. The planning commission wanted to know if there would be more handicapped parking because of the nature of the site.

Grace Gilbert-Davis, the chief executive officer of the health center, said in offices like these it is very common to have 15 minute parking for visitors to the health center that may not have a handicap permit, but need some assistance at the time of their visit. Along with the parking spaces, the board wanted to know if ambulances would be dropping off at the center.

“No…but there is access for an ambulance in the main driveway,” she said.

Some of the abutting landowners had questions about how their property would be screened, as well as if there would be any impact on their water.

Frothingham said there wouldn’t be any impact on their water and Gilbert-Davis said they would work with the property owners to make sure their property was screened in a way they wanted.

The planning commission asked for some changes to be made to the plan before they could approve it. Frothingham said the changes, which just added some more detail to the plan, would be sent to the planning commission next week.

The town has approved a temporary sign for the property, but Keith Squires, chair of the Arlington Select Board, said he wanted Battenkill Valley Health Center to wait until they received their permits from the ZBA.

The new health clinic recently was designated as a federally qualified community health center. Until now, Bennington County was the only one in the state without such a federally designated clinic, which allows such facilities to offer an expanded range of services beyond what its forerunner, Arlington Family Practice, was able to, and from where it is currently operating. The designation also allows for increased federal reimbursement rates to make the services more affordable to individuals across the entire county, according to its website.